Portable platform for lifting trucks



Oct. 3, '1944. D. H. CRQSSER 2,359,406

PORTABLE PLATFORM'FOR LIFTING TRUCKS Filed Dec. 1, 1943 r 2 Shets-Sheet1 1 I W 1 if 1 H; I /4 4 Q l I w "I Z 51' 19 i 7hr fwd y fforzzey Oct.3, 1944. D. H. CROSSER PORTABLE PLATFORM FOR LIFTING TRUCKS Filed Dec.1, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fizdzzz or Mm /A W Patented Oct. 3, 1944 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE 'PLATFORM FOR LIF'IING TRUCKS David H.Crosser, Chicago, Ill. Application December 1, 1943, Serial No. 512,456

7 Claims.

At the present time socalled skids, which are small, raised platformsbeneath which lifting trucks may be introducedtolift them clear of thefloor and move them from place to place, are largely used for supportinga great variety of things, especially masses .of sheet material. Insomecases it is difiicult to arrange the load so that it will be stableand yet sufficiently large for-efficient service. Card bo ard blank forcartons, for example, are arranged in stacks which are apt to fallapart, whether placed so that the individual blanks lie flat or stand onedge, upon moving the supporting skid or platform about.

The object of the present invention is to make it possible to'hold theload securely on such skids or platforms by means that are simple,inexpensive and effective, without increasing the labor cost and withoutmaking loadin and unloading more diflicult than heretofore.

In carrying out my invention .1 provide any usual' or suitable skid orplatform, of the type under consideration, with end walls andpreferably, also, with a back wall; these walls being preferablydetachably interlocked at their lower ends with the skid or platform andrising to a considerable height above the latter. Means are provided torock the end walls toward eachother and act as clamps gripping theloadwhile, at the same time, the end walls hold the upper part of theback wall in place.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterizedwill hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but,for a full understanding of the invention and of its objectsandadvantages, reference may be had to the following detailed descriptiontaken'in con- Figure 1 is a-perspective'view of a skid or platformequipped in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a rearelevation of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2;Fig, '4 is an elevational view of one of the detachable end walls, on alarger scale and containing a modification; Fig.5 is a view similar toFig. 4, the greater part of the bridge plate being broken away; Fig. 6is a section, on a still larger scale, on line 6-6 of Fig. 4, with a tierod about to enter one of the diagonal slots; and Fig. 7 is a section online "|1!"of'Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a. flat bed or floor spanning andfastened to a pair of spaced runners or sills 2; this being a commonconstruction. At each corner is a socket 3, open at the top; thesesockets being conveniently carried by nection with theaccompanying'drawings, wherei the sills so as not to form anyobstruction-above the plane of the supporting surface of the structure.At each end of the device is an end wall 4 of any desired construction,as long as it is both lightand strong. Each end wall is provided withlegs, best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, that fit into the sockets at that endor the bed or platform. These walls may therefore be removed by simplyraising them high enough to lift the legs clear of the sockets. A rearwall 6 rests on the floor or bed and overlaps the edge faces of the endwalls. On the inner side of the rear wall, near the top, are a'pair ofprojecting eyes 1. A long tie rod 8 extends through these eyes andthrough the end walls, securing them together. On the outer side of therear wall is a central vertical bar 9 that project down and overlaps thesill or runner on that side. Other pieces In, fixed t0 the rear sill andoverlapping the rear wall complete the interlock between the platformand rear wall.

In the simplest form of the invention, as shown in Fig. 1, each end wallcontains a group of diagonal slots II, distributed over the same so asto cover almost the entire area thereof. The slots may conveniently beparallel to one diagonal of the corresponding wall and be distributedover almost the entire length of the other diagonal. In the arrangementshown, the slots are inclined downwardly and forwardly, althouglr anydisposition that will bring each slot in one wall parallel to thecorresponding slot in the other wall will sufiice. For cooperation withthe slots any desired number of lengthwise-adjustable tie rods, longenough to reach from one end wall to the other, may be provided. In Fig,1 there is only one such rod, indicated by the reference character l2.Each tie rod has on at least one end, and preferably on both, a washer-13 and a wing nut 14.

. After a skid or platform has been loaded or partially loaded, a tierod may be inserted into corresponding slot inthe two end walls andlowered until it contacts or is near the goods. The nuts .on the rod orat least one of them, if there are nuts at both ends, are thentightened. This draws the end walls toward each other sufliciently tocause the goods to be clamped between them. In-the case of carton blanksor the like, standing on edge, the blanks may be packed in until theycover the whole -fl0or from'one end wall to the other. It may be thatseveral layers may be built up before there is any need to clamp themin. In any event, the slots enable the workmen quickly and easily toapply a tie'rod in the most advantageous location. If necessary,additional tie rods may be applied as the load is built up; this beingpossible without placing obstructions in the way of even stacking, inthe case of carton blanks, because these have edge irregularities thatprovide notches or grooves in the tops of a mass of blanks standing onedge.

In Figs. 4 to '7 I have shown how a tie rod l2 may be mounted so that itneed not be disconnected to get it out of the way during loading andunloading. For the sake of clarity the same end wall as in Fig. 1 isincluded in these views although any desired wall structure and slotarrangement may be employed. It will be seen that there is a horizontalslot 15 extending from the rear toward the front, near the top of thewall. This slot intercepts all of the diagonal slots that extend thatfar up; these diagonal slots forming branches or tributaries of thehorizontal slot. The horizontal slot may extend rearwardly far enoughbeyond the rearmost diagonal slot to provide room for the reception andstoring of a number of tie rods; three such rods being shown in Fig. 5.When a tire rod is needed, the one that is in front is drawn forwarduntil it registers with the selected tributary slot and is then loweredin that slot to the required level.

For the purpose of strengthening the wall in th region of the horizontalslot, I secure a bridging plate I6 to the wall over the slot. This plateforms with the wall a tunnel outside of and along the horizontal slot.The corresponding ends of the tie rods, with their washers and nuts, canmove freely along this tunnel between working positions and the idlepositions. The plate has cut-outs l! in the bottom to permit the rodend, with its washer and nut, to pass freely from a horizontal slot to adiagonal slot, or in the reverse direction.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have illustrated a simple wall construction which hasbeen found very satisfactory in actual use. The body of the wall is asheet of wallboard [8 reinforced with wood strips l9 in which the slotsll lie. The whole is strengthened by a sturdy frame 20 that followsalong the border of the body member. This frame may conveniently becomposed of two thicknesses of about three quarter inch wood.Furthermore, the legs may be downward extensions of the verticalelements of the frame.

While I have'illustrated and described with particularity only a singleform of my invention which has been found satisfactory in actualcommercial useQtogether with a slight modification, I do not desire tobe limited to the structural details thus illustrated and described; butintend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within thedefinitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a bed or platform member for supporting materials,opposed end walls rising from said member, each wall having longdiagonal slots therein, corresponding slots in the two walls beinparallel, and one or more lengthwise adjustable tie rods extendingthrough corresponding slots in said walls and tying them together.

2. In combination, a bed or platform member for supporting materials,opposed walls rising from the ends of said member, each wall havingtherein a group of long slots paralleling one diagonal and distributedalong the other diagonal, the two groups being similar and correspondingslots in the same being parallel to each other, and one or more tie rodsextending through and adjustable along corresponding slots in the twowalls to tie the walls together.

3. In combination, a bed or platform member for supporting materials,opposed end walls rising from and detachably mounted on said member,each wall having therein a group of parallel, long, diagonal slots, thetwo groups being similar and corresponding slots in the same beingparallel to each other, and one or more tie rods long enough to extendfrom one wall to the other and through corresponding slots in the wallsto tie the walls together.

4. In combination, a bed or platform member for supporting materials,two end walls and a rear wall detachably interlocked at their lower endswith and rising from said member, each end wall having therein a groupof long, parallel diagonal slots spaced apart along a line at rightangles thereto, the two groups of slots being similar to each other andbeing so disposed that corresponding slots in the groups are parallel,one or more tie rods long enough to extend from one end wall to theother and through corresponding slots in the latter to tie the end wallstogether, and means detachably securing the upper part of the rear wallto the end walls.

5. In combination, a bed or platform member for supporting materials,two end walls and a rear wall detachably interlocked at their lower endswith and rising from said member, each end wall having therein a groupof long, diagonal slots, the two groups being similar and being sodisposed that each slot in one group is parallel to the correspondingslot in the other group, one or more tie rods long enough to extend fromone end wall to the other and through corresponding slots in such wallsto tie those walls together, eyes on the rear wall near the top, and atie rod extending through both end walls and through said eyes.

6. In combination, a bed or platform member for supporting materials,opposed end walls rising from said member, each end wall having thereina long, horizontal slot and a group of other long slots extendingdownwardly from the horizontal slot and constituting tributariesthereof, and one or more adjustable tie rods extending between saidwalls, and through said horizontal slots, the tributary slots each beingwide enough to receive a rod and permit the latter to be moved into anyposition along the same;

'7, In combination, a bed or platform member for supporting materials,opposed walls rising from said member, each wall having therein, nearthe top, a long, horizontal slot and a plurality of diagonal slots inspaced relation to each other below and opening into the horizontalslot, and one or more adjustable tie rods long enough to extend from onewall to the other and through both of them, whereby the rod or rods maybe stored in one end of the two horizontal slots or be disposed anywherealong the diagonal slots for tying said walls together.

DAVID H. CROSSER.

